Q: Why is it recommended to buy a new halyard/sheet in Dyneema rope when the old ones were in polyester??

A: As with many other things in the world today, improvements are coming every day..  Many yards, chandlers etc use or sell polyester ropes cause they are cheap, but unfortunate the fiber stretches much more then Dyneema. When a halyard stretch (elasticity) the sail it holds gets deeper and the shape moves aft in the sail, which cause higher heel angle, less pointing ability and less speed.
It is possible to achieve almost no stretch with a polyester halyard, but the rope should then be dimensioned a lot thicker then a Dyneema rope for the same stretch. This will then mean more weight up the mast which again cause more heel angle and thus lower speed etc. Also, such a polyester halyard will often cost almost the same as a properly dimensioned halyard in Dyneema, and still not achieve the exact same in terms of low stretch.

Q: I am only a cruising sailor. Is a polyester halyard then not good enough for my boat?

A: See the answer above.  A boat that sails fast with relative low heel angle is mostly more comfortable to be on then a boat sailing slow with high heel angle.
With a faster and more comfortable boat, you can also get further in a day of sailing, and see more places in the always too short holiday.

Q: I have bought a new Genoa halyard, but now it slips in my Spinlock rope clutch. What can I do to stop this?

A: Spinlock rope clutches are available with two different size’s of cam. (the moving part inside the clutch that grip on the rope) On this cam is written what rope size it is suitable for. This cam can be exchanged either to a new one if it’s worn out, or to a smaller one that fits your current rope diameter.

Q: What is the difference between Spectra and Dyneema??

A: The short answer is ”No difference” as Spectra and Dyneema is trade names for a fiber also known as UHMwPE (Ultra-High Molecular weight PolyEthylene) From two different manufactures, one producing under license from the other.
However there are small differences in breaking strength in the different grades from these manufactures. The grades suitable for, and mostly used in ropes today is Dyneema SK75, SK78 and SK90. From these it’s the SK75 that has the widest spread in today’s common Dyneema ropes. SK78 was developed to have less creep (permanent stretch over long time with permanent load) for e.g. the Volvo Ocean race. And SK90 was launched in the fall of 2009 boasting a higher breaking strength then both its predecessors.
However, the SK90 also comes at a higher price then the SK75. We are happy to supply halyards in these newer grades of Dyneema, but a bit longer delivery time should be expected, as these are not yet readily available from the rope manufactures.